Publication year
2011
Citation Title
Siblings of military servicemembers: A qualitative exploration of individual and family systems reactions.
Journal Name
Professional Psychology: Research and Practice
Journal Volume
42
Issue Number
4
Page Numbers
316-323
DOI
10.1037/a0024527
Summary
Siblings of current or recent Service members were interviewed to explore how having a family member in the military impacts their family. Initial reactions to a decision to enlist involved an increase in family conflict in a number of different family subsystems; however, eventually the family members coalesced with the Service member and rallied in their support.
Key Findings
Participants whose siblings’ military service began after they left for college described forfeiting their growing autonomy as they supported other family members.
Both the qualitative and quantitative analyses identified both positive and negative reactions to a sibling’s enlistment in military service; most did not experience overwhelming distress.
Seven of the eight participants described how their sibling’s enlistment provided an important role model of hard work and self-sacrifice.
Six participants described feelings of loss or anxiety within their family associated with their sibling’s service.
Implications for Program Leaders
Facilitate age-appropriate activities or discussion groups to support siblings of Service members
Provided support groups during reintegration events that specifically target siblings to allow them to express their feelings and experiences
Offer activities in which Service members and their siblings could engage in enjoyable activities together
Implications for Policy Makers
Continue to support family-based activities in which siblings as well as other family members can participate
Recommend that services for Service member’s spouse/partner and children are expanded to include siblings
Recommend installations conduct a needs assessment to better understand the needs and experiences of the siblings of Service members stationed therein
Methods
Undergraduate students with siblings who currently or recently served in the United States military were recruited via a psychology research pool and on-campus announcements.
Participants met with interviewers who collected information on significant life events in the previous five years for the participant, their military sibling, and family.
Participants were asked to talk for ten minutes about questions: How has your life changed and what is your reaction to having a family member in the military? and What changes have you noticed in the lives of other family members and what are their reactions to having a family member in the military?
Participants
Eight undergraduates participated (50% female).
Fifty percent of participants were White, with an average age of 20.96 years (SD = 0.98 years).
Eighty-eight percent of siblings were male; 38% were in Army, 38% Navy, 13% Marine Corps, 13% National Guard.
Limitations
The sample was small and homogeneous, limiting the ability to generalize to other groups.
Only one family member’s views were assessed; it may be important to assess all family members’ experiences directly.
No information was collected regarding the siblings’ motivations to enlist in the military which may have impacted their families’ reactions.
Avenues for Future Research
Collect data from more siblings in a wider variety of life circumstances
Compare young adults who have siblings leave home for other reasons to those leaving for military service
Examine the experiences of younger siblings (e.g., those in elementary school or junior high) in relation to the Service member’s enlistment
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
How does having a sibling in the military affect young adults? Despite increasing attention to the challenges faced by spouses and children of servicemembers, the siblings of servicemembers have been largely ignored in the existing literature. This qualitative investigation uses unstructured narratives to explore siblings' perceptions of changes in their lives and changes in the family of origin associated with having a family member enlist in the United States military. Thematic analyses revealed an acute period of conflict followed by reorganization, awareness of the parents' distress, changes in the emotional climate of the family, shifts in family roles, admiration for the military sibling, and increased meaning and purpose for the family following the servicemember's enlistment. Computer-assisted text analyses revealed both positive and negative emotional expressions associated with the siblings' military service. For professional psychologists who come into contact with siblings of servicemembers, it is important to recognize that military enlistment can have ripple effects and complicate other common individual and family stresses. More generally, it is important to provide siblings and the family of origin with information about what to expect during and after the servicemember's enlistment, especially since these families may lack support from and contact with others going through similar transitions.
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